Why and How do polar bears hibernate in the arctic?
For the most part, usually only pregnant females hibernate or den to rest from fighting the cold, Arctic climate, and hunting while carrying extra weight. It is very difficult to accomplish their regular daily activities with this obstacle. Some males may also hibernate to rest and escape the cold for a little while as well. Some males that don't hibernate enter a physiological state called walking hibernation, which means that they're awake and active.
Polar bears construct their dens to hibernate in early winter and to make them, they dig them out of snow banks on the south, so that they face the slopes nearest the coast. The structure of these dens are an entrance tunnel leading into one or more oval shaped chambers. Because snow is so insulating and the bears give off quite a bit of body heat, temperatures inside the den can get as high as 40 Degrees F when it is much below freezing outside. Some of the largest dens can get up to 3ft high, 8ft wide, and 10ft long inside! That's some powerful digging!
In order to hibernate, polar bears not only need to prepare a den, but also their bodies. Polar bears have the ability to increase or decrease their metabolic rate (how much energy they use), so they can survive through their hibernation without running out of energy. These carnivorous bears prey on both ringed and bearded seals year round. Most bears (440 lbs), need the energy value of about 2 lbs of seal blubber per day! During hibernation, polar bears live off of high-energy seal fat, so they must consume quite a bit of seals before they can go for their long, winter nap.
Polar bears construct their dens to hibernate in early winter and to make them, they dig them out of snow banks on the south, so that they face the slopes nearest the coast. The structure of these dens are an entrance tunnel leading into one or more oval shaped chambers. Because snow is so insulating and the bears give off quite a bit of body heat, temperatures inside the den can get as high as 40 Degrees F when it is much below freezing outside. Some of the largest dens can get up to 3ft high, 8ft wide, and 10ft long inside! That's some powerful digging!
In order to hibernate, polar bears not only need to prepare a den, but also their bodies. Polar bears have the ability to increase or decrease their metabolic rate (how much energy they use), so they can survive through their hibernation without running out of energy. These carnivorous bears prey on both ringed and bearded seals year round. Most bears (440 lbs), need the energy value of about 2 lbs of seal blubber per day! During hibernation, polar bears live off of high-energy seal fat, so they must consume quite a bit of seals before they can go for their long, winter nap.